1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to compositions for removing a polymeric contaminant and methods of removing a polymeric contaminant using the compositions. More particularly, example embodiments of the present invention relate to compositions for removing a polymeric contaminant that may remain on an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device and methods of removing a polymeric contaminant using the compositions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured by performing several unit processes such as a film deposition process, a photoresist pattern forming process, an etching process or a cleaning process, etc. For example, a thin film is formed by depositing silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxide, metal nitride or metal on a semiconductor substrate. A photoresist pattern is formed by performing an exposure process and a developing process on a photoresist film that is formed on the thin film. The etching process is carried out by partially removing the thin film using the photoresist pattern as an etching mask. In the cleaning process, impurities remaining on the semiconductor substrate after performing the etching process are removed from the semiconductor substrate.
In the etching process, a polymeric contaminant generated while the thin film is partially etched is attached to an apparatus such as a dry etching apparatus. The polymeric contaminant may function as a particle contaminating the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, a process for removing the polymeric contaminant from the apparatus is required so as to prevent the semiconductor substrate from being contaminated by the polymeric contaminant.
To remove the polymeric contaminant from the apparatus, the apparatus is disassembled, and then parts of the apparatus are cleaned using a brush and a cleaning solution such as distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, a hydrofluoric aqueous solution or an ammonium hydroxide aqueous solution. However, the cleaning efficiency of this method is so poor that the polymeric contaminant attached to a part of the apparatus, e.g., a blade of a transferring arm illustrated in FIG. 1, is insufficiently removed. Moreover, it can take at least ten minutes to remove the polymeric contaminant.
Additionally, the apparatus generally includes a material such as a ceramic material, alumina, aluminum, quartz or a stainless metal. This part of the apparatus portion of the apparatus should exhibit weak acid-resistance and alkali-resistance. Accordingly, this part of the apparatus can be readily damaged when the polymeric contaminant is removed therefrom.
Furthermore, any surface unevenness of the part which is caused by the damage may promote generation of the contaminating particle. Thus, the life of the part may be shortened and the quality and the manufacturing yield of the semiconductor device may be reduced.